Skip the classic squats! Dorian Yates reveals how to really build massive legs.

The ability to adapt and find the most effective ways has always been the key to the success of legendary bodybuilder Dorian Yates. And that mentality hasn't changed even after his retirement from the sport. The six-time Mr. Olympia titleholder from the '90s, who dominated legends like Shawn Ray, Flex Wheeler, and Kevin Levrone on stage, recently shared his perspective on leg training.

In a recent video, the popular "The Shadow" explained why he prefers the hack squat over traditional free barbell squats in his training, and why he additionally considers squats on a multi-press (Smith machine) a fantastic alternative.

Although Yates' leg training looks a little different today than it did in his glory days, he still approaches it with tremendous intensity and precision. He has even incorporated Pilates into his routine and, even at 64, he still boasts incredible form with chiseled abs.

Why does Dorian Yates prefer the Hacken squat?

In his video, Yates highlighted one major advantage of hacken squats - they allow the exerciser to go to much more depth than a traditional squat with a large barbell on their back.

"The classic squat with a free barbell is obviously an excellent compound exercise where you engage the muscles along the spine, glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings. Most of the time, though, you'll get no higher than parallel to the ground or slightly below it," explains Yates. "With the hacken squat, however, we can go to absolutely extreme depths and choose a lower stance."

Yates goes on to point out how the width of the stance on the machine's platform affects the engagement of specific muscle parts:

• Narrow stance: according to Yates, a narrow stance focuses much more on the vastus medialis (called the tear above the knee) and vastus lateralis (the outside of the thighs) muscles.
• Wide stance: If you stand wide, you'll engage the adductors (inner thighs) and gluteal muscles much more.

Therefore, a narrow stance and maximum range of motion all the way to the bottom is ideal for maximum development of the quadriceps themselves.

Injury and the transition to multipress

Yates has made no secret of the fact that he has sustained injuries while performing classic free squats in the past that forced him to rethink his approach and look for safer alternatives. This is where the multipress found a huge application for him.

"I think of it as a different exercise. Normally I would alternate exercises like the free squat, leg press, or possibly the squat on the multipress. As many of you probably know, I got injured on the free squats, so I had to find a different way. And the multipress was a great choice for me," shares the bodybuilding legend.

The philosophy of "Less is sometimes more"

Dorian Yates is a long-time pioneer and proponent of high-intensity training (HIT) - a philosophy that claims less volume with maximum intensity yields better results. He now trains with weights just twice a week, but makes sure that every set counts one hundred percent.

If you're looking for a way to stimulate maximum leg growth without overloading your lower back, Yates' approach is worth a try. Utilizing the hacken squat for an extremely deep range of motion and the multipress for added stability may be just the thing to take your leg training to the next level.